Football Game Preview: Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic Yellowjackets vs. Naugatuck Greyhounds

Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic hasn't had much luck against Naugatuck recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Yellowjackets will welcome the Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m. Naugatuck took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic, who comes in off a win.

Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Everything went their way against Derby as they made off with a 29-6 victory. The win continues a trend for the Yellowjackets in their matchups with the Red Raiders: they've now won three in a row.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic to victory, but perhaps none more so than Owen Riemer, who rushed for 80 yards and one TD on only seven carries. Another back making a difference was Cole Linnen, who rushed for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only seven carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 258 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Derby only rushed for 159.

Meanwhile, Naugatuck played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 56-28 loss at the hands of Woodland Regional. The Greyhounds were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-21.

Naugatuck's defeat dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.

Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Naugatuck struggles in that department as they've been averaging 153.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Gilbert/Northwestern/Housatonic was taken down by Naugatuck 49-7 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Yellowjackets were down 42-0.